Regulatory Guide 4.11

Terrestrial Environmental Studies for Nuclear Power Stations

ML13350A243
Person / Time
Issue date:	07/31/1976
From:	NRC/OSD
To:
References
RG-4.011
Download: ML13350A243 (9)

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONREGULATORY GUIDEOFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENTREGULATORY GUIDE 4.11TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESFOR NUCLEAR POWER STATIONSJuly 1976A. INTRODUCTIONixtientiaJl ctivit1JnarTieti ,ct.,!ts5 mcudine iuddeti -11 extet.nAlized custs. of nucicau power statikin construction andThe Nuclear Regulatory Conmiits,,n's policy and operation. By identifying importanl envirornn,,znl costsprocedures for picparing and proccssing erivirotimental priot to site preparation and statnun construction. theimpact statements and related documents pursuant ito costs can be rmduced to acceptable levels by wleclting as-Section 102(2) (C) of the National invironmental Policy appropriate site. revising the station de.i"'or modifyingAct of 1969 (Public Law 91-190, 83 Stat. 852) are set operating piocedures.forth in 10 C(FR Part SI, "Licensing and Regulatory C.,Policy arid Procedures foi Environmental Prtc'tion.'" In this guide. environmental str4ies aute.4vided intoRegulatory Guide 4.2. "Preparation of Environmental four phases: rote Selection. box* ' Mbdies. cnsitu.tionReports for Nuclear Power Stations," identifies the monitoring, arid -rih .1 able I showsinformnation needed by the NRC staff in its aswscsnment the oruganization foz ,=restual tdies identifying majoiof the potential eavironmental etlects of a lijpoted task.5and their apprt'*).tetim&:hedults.nuclear facility. This regulatory guide provides technical Adversw t Jke Jtl o.gafisrh or ecologicalinlfornima ion Imo the design and.c.c ecution of eterest rial systems h.c histAoI4y itulted fr omr loss or niodifica.environmental studies for nuclear power stations. The titit Lol out rtinvtals or toxic chemiicalsinformation resulting from these studies, ai they relate illtot eti nrtimt, and dnect desitruction of biota. Ato ecological aspects of site selection, as.sessment of bholcd*Cl,,eil'I nay be expressed at the level of lihterrestrial effects of station cons truction and operation, :' itr throuh the collective jrcnponrt.and formulation of related monitorting activitcs. mtay be 4.sins ,t the system level.. k.xar1-,: of effect- o',tappropriate for inclusion in the applicant's ii)4gvithil organisms include death. redu, :, n of heallhtal report. *1or'ltalty, accurmulation of roxi" subs...nces. and`ta. llteration of reproductive success. Lxa.mples of ecolo.Although there is a need for a thorou,0,4i1uait* : gical system efc1TIs include changes in birth mi, deathenvironmental impacts, it is important thaItresouw.09s not rate. changes of toxic ekinent concentrations through-be needlessly dissipated on programs of-.t*iteJ&'%aflu¢. out entire food webs, and changes in population mle otThe need for accuraite evaluation and view of community structure,the environmental report makes it eswrntial to focus Mos lant and animal sopuletions havc sutficientquickly on Iearingful 'I9 a nd to avoid exhaustive Modt pl a ct y o n ma k Upu fort o sshe1s t't,:ie wanalyses not directiy fter ;.1station impacts. This reproductive capacity tu make up for loses of a fewguide racommindrirtk, C Itu ssessments, resource mdtvidual. without chanes in 3verage population W.,esmanagement, s.f.c -and control of effects asWhen th loss of individualmeans for ,ro~ting terrestrial ecology. The ap- becomes sufficiently great, however, the populattori irs aproach r j061nn62 d f.1 terrestrial surveys begins with whorce ttay eas to punction em a elf.suy tahning.broadly anll and biotic inventories and then renewable resource. The poplation may then befocuses number of significant environmental overstressed. and species extinction or undesitable shiftsissues. 1Rý in community structure may become possible.B. DISCUSSIONIt is important (hat environmental assessments pro-vide the information needed to estimate and limitExcessive population stresses have resulted fromnatural phenomena, hunting, trapping. draining of wet-lands, harvesting forests, plowing prairies, widespreadUSNAC RE.GULATORY GUIDES Corn"rt.9 Sh.ould 104 so-t tothi swc..tsv of t" rnte~, U a I cls1%g,.tato,v Guide* Ole iltus4 to d~renit.h and _4119 4*AO0 to~e~' 0.4t.,.~ Outwitg:o DCic Sam"^t.4Octwg emefthods acce~lbillt 990 tIle i9C stetI Of 'rnPtlt.ttt~tg 11009to Parts Of %asComnrn16,00 S togujtbt.ofts. to dol~tes~bgtetVha 'J&" air Ito~ Ot.t ft *Vt The quid"e.l,.e,1'ttsfla nthf eo~ fftobroa8d ff9.softesting tiepc-fic ptoblernt at posttuteled &cc~de'tt a' to Po'tde guidane. to .o~tt.coots Regulatory Gwtlfs 11te not subst.1too to, mot elalto'te. oed Itemt9,9'c* I Power 01tescs.'e Pioductwitth thte t %a'tt toqu,Irtd Melhads and Solutionse different #-rn too".se Sol. Ot I 40sc W4 7#11 Arttorf 7tlia guides will be accoptebie itlt ihyotovide a bastm #to ttt. 9.~donqlt9'44001% to 3 ul n Iloeii Ftectttt~es S etit crostions Meot!?Ike ilstuatco or cotnounvrc of a Ostrn't 0, hetrn. kV th~e Cotrnntlwt.. 4 an SIT..9 I A.mtnwCommtentts and 1W994geetlot o 110, ....'t -, titeog 9-69.i% 61* mtCOu.aged1 a matoene 6`14 Pont Pltodtlan' 90 ConoeteMt all totes. .1,d guide -,It be ,oI.as *00'oo.,etu. In aeccOM'tOodet torn"tm.e.ts and to t*tt~ct neow -Itai-,atm' o a, ..ec O4,w4ea Commen~eton~ capt," at pubttl"04 gwude mnay be obtotp bl, tantlan, 004"h11 tttdeetag fthflits quid*. .9 received wittvin About two moths'tI. After its 1.fOsu~* w~tt be Par tbW~ovans dl"~ To fthe US 9t~l ftoctla egltory Cornvstewo. Waettotp 0t DCftc.1a'tV useful to oisetuht..q the need to- a. soetiy eiruon 2Mý Aite..ytott D..eo'w. etfhte at Simteo.4de eonp 9TABLE 1TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESRELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTIONAND OPERATION OF NUCLEAR POWER STATIONSPhaseSite selectionBaseline studies at theproposed siteConstruction monitoringat the :approved siteOperational monitoringat the approved site* CP = construction permitER = environmental reportOL = operating licenseMajor TaskRegional land-use analysisLocal land-use analysisBiological iivcnboricsMonitoring of constructionpracticeProblem-oliented monitoring(short-term and continuingprograms)Time When Task Pcrformed*Prior to apphcation for CP whencandidate areas are being selectedPrior to application for CP whenpreferred site is being sIcictedPrior to application for CP whenER is being prepared;m"ay continucinto period after CtP issuance (buibefore OL issuarnce)DMring period bet-'eco CP issuanceand OL issuanceAfter OL is issueddispersion of toxic substances, and other activities Thisdoes nut imply that these activities are always incom-patible with the well-being of natural systems. Experi-ence has shown that good management often permits thecoexistence of desired ecological systems with variousenterprises.Site SelectionThe results of site selection surveys are useful inidentifying potential Impacts of station siting, construe-tion, and operation on terrestrial ecological systems andpermit evaluation of alternatives that could reduce ad-verse effects. In this guide, the suggested site selectionprocedures* are limited to terrestrial ecoloey.Site selection surveys may be descriptive in nature. Indescribing biota, emphasis is generally placed on ecolo-gically significant groupings of organisms and manage-ment of resources rather than on ecological detail. it isimportant, however, that the investigations rapidlyfocus on matters of special sensitivity, rather thanretaining a broad and diffitse approach.Site selection surveys can be conduct'.s in twophases, regional land-use and local land-u:.-," analysis.Regional land-use analysis is used in conjunction with*See also Regulatory Guide 4.7, "General Site Suitability Cri-teria for Nuclear Power. Stations."engineering surveys to select candidate sites for thtnuclear station. Local land-use anralysi3 is directed ucandidate sites and is used in conjunction with engi-Wnec .ing consideratims to sclect a preferred site. Siteselection surveys of terrestrial ecology are coordinatedwith prelinidnary engineering. studies. The informationneeded could be ob!ained from such sources as aerialphotographs. topographic maps, reconnaissance, litera-ture, and regional or local zoning and planning data. Site,election surveys aaa performed with the objective ofproviding data for resource nunagement analysis, ratherthan for detailed functional analysts of ecosystems.Terrestrial criteria at the regional level what are neededin the selection of candidate sites include the extent ofvaluable farmland in the region and the altematives avail-able for siting on land of lower utility, the extent ofvaluable wildlife habitat in the region and alternatives toIts use, and the extent of valuable forests in the regionand alternatives to their use. Also needed is informationon the current status of land use and zoning plans withinthe region. This includes an accounting of all land withinthe region in major categories such as. agricultural land,forest land, urban areas. highway-s, and airporls.The selection process examines reasonable oppor-tunities for utilizing sites that have minimal impact onthe diversity of regional land use, present and future.Preservation of a range of options for land use isimportant for the consideration of biologically rare or.s4.11-2 unique areas. A unique wildljfe babita.1 may be und':six-able for a site since to use it could furodose oppof-tunities for propagation of wildlife. scientifk" study,natural history study, recreatu'tr, and public enjuyrnentof wildlife.Federal, State, regional, and local planning authoritismay be consulted to dct.ermine the existence andlocation of areas withiri the region that have. icendedicated to the public interest or areas in which 5itingwould be in conflict with preexisting zoning plars.Examples of such areas include dedicated patrks andforests, especially produetive fartland, places whe'respecialty c-rops are produced. rate but as yet undedicatedforests and wildlife habitats, scenic arcai, and wetland,.More specilfic land-use classes are needed in t~Rw fucalsurveys than in the regional surveys, but they shouldbe based on information obtained by reconnsancerather than detailed binlogical invcntory. Land-use cate-gories may include farms. fields. secondary succeisiort(indicating dominant species), foiests, and residentiaJ.industrial, and commercial areas. If aerial photognphsare used for local land.u5c analysis, it is important thattheir scale is sufficient to present views of the candidatesites and their inunediate environs.Major soil data for each sioe being may beobtained from existing literature or thirough recofltais-santce it' not otherwise available. Soil CounrvtionService offices are usually able to .upply sufficientInformation. Information may be %upplied as a soilassociation map that is keyed to a t ab!t of descriptiveinformation.The selection of a cooling method for the propsedplant is an important consideration in itle selection.Cooling reservoirs may require loss of land, which maybe unacceptable compared to the use of coolinp towers.in su:e re'ioits. Howvver. cooling towers could beobjectionlabe in sceruc aicas where a coohng lake couldbe an aseiet. Visible plunes from coolirn tovtts could bentoze Abjvctivmb!e e ironrstentirly at sov sitcs it others becausc Of ground Itogs or sraig, l'ible 2 is anexample matrix that could be to.d it bAa.ncing the& I -f factorV. iFKY th.e lWca studies. .nkcrasi.ng delail 1s ncedcd in tOletatbi:iion of plant and anmal speci-e uegun during therei.nun.d sunrey'. T'h. specis list mayx be enla-,ed omornkanvidge or pdincipd habnaials %f the sites, re,'nt~nai.--tsance. ttw literature.. anid 1 t .At thi s wtg' itis tr-pi-qtwit to esutabbsh whterhe there te m>b4wiovsdifferences aiuntg sites with ,rsp-,et to endAngercd3pcjc. es, gamn. waitmals. or ,other ialportant spc'ies ofThe ,tvruwett ftr c4ch size should Jncludec'-u iderariorn o~f the a ot prelefled habitat ofw4eicies (iie Secki'n 22 of. Regt" rio"y Guide4.2) that would be, affected.tnt'ointutivr. ic uircd fwn r-k-vsiorcirtlo~i t-mmAnilm in nature to rtial. for. candidate site setkctiuf.DetaiLead cormidoi routes wt!.' not norrnall. be Known itthis stage. Nevertheless. tvnisi&-citiom needs to be gi'ento prtIsbblb c0,or nid IteI'fh, YIaTuurl barriers, imllpac onlai d use. utits for ne'w transmissionlir.es with pree.xisting tourees, and tbeltiC 0ffects in thewetectic.r of candidate sites..Tabie 3 is wa example matrix that could be used inand balancing altematihe sites. Site % lecriun tsdependent on a wide range of ficlors other th~an thoserclating to tvrrestrial e'ology. In .ome c seCS the weirringand balancing of Al factors may rt.mult in a selctiwn thtris les3 than optimum by renres'tial ecologic.l cJi1em1a. I.nthese cases the need for suhsequent ptrtansmay be greater in the case of mote nearly optimumchoices. tomever, norve of the candidate sites shiould beOLE 2FACTORS CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION OFSITES AND COOLING METHODSEnvironmental VariableFarn-landWoodlandWastelandCoastlandWetlandSpecial Wildlife HabitatsPreserves and ParksAesthetic ImpactsOnce.ThrougtsCoolingCOOlinSLAkeCowlingToweiSprayCanals4.11-3W TABLE 3SELECTION OF SITES: TERRESTRIAL FACTORS*FactorSite ASite BSite CLand useFarmlandWoodlandWildlife iHabitatUnique or Rare HabitatsArea of SiteTransmission Corridors'Terrestrial EcologInportant Species PresentEndangered and Threatened Species PresentOUnits %hould be quantitative whenever appropriate: hWCveC, judgmenta3 eMr6 are acveptatlc if necde4..located in critical, unique, of highly valuable haibitatareas.rhe goal of the regional and local land-use surveys isthe selection of a preferred site that does not havecritical habitats or habitats in short local supply. Anysite selected, of course, %,li result in the loss of somehabitat and its associated residents. This loss is assessedthrough an inventory of species present.Baseline StudiesBaseline studies of the preferred site, includingtransmission corridors, are needed to fully describe thesite and to establish a basis for predicting the impact ofconstruction or operation. Baseline studies may be usedfor comparison with later construction or operationalstudies.Biological studies of the proposed site are made inadvance of plant construction or operation. The qualita-tive notations of station and animal abundance includedIn the baseline inventory are normally sufficient. Quanti-tative measurement of population density Is not usuallyneeded as part of the species Inventory unless profes-sional judgment based on field study leads to a reason-able conclusion that one or more populations ofImportant species could be adversely affected by con-struction ot operation This judgernt should be basedon examination ot each us"ng the criteria citedhere and on professional biolo:cal ltetrpretation. Cons-derations include the biolo cal reason for timportanceand the link between the nuclear station and thcorganisrm The spvcies considered important are thosethat meet the d&fmition in Guide 4.12 andthat are linked adversely to the station in somereasonable way. These may require further quantitativeeffort in the baseline studies and operational monitoringsurveys.It is important that judgment be exercised in selectingthe thine for initiating quantitative population studies ifthey are needed. Where construction effects are antrkips-ted. quantitative studies should beg& in the bairlinephase. Where an effect of station operation is expected.it would be best to defer quantitative baseline studiesuntil some time prior to operation to ensure reasonablecompatibility with the operational studies. It will usuallybe adequate to bracket the per d of anticipated impactwith I or 2 years of prior studies and an appropriateterm of following studies.Properly designed studies will avoid placinr undueemphasis on certain easily accessible groups of orn-isms. Most species of insects. for example, are ecolo-gically important In local food webs. However, speciesthat cannot reasonably be judged threatened by thenuclear station or that are not likely to become of 44.11-4 econom1ic o.1 r public health significance because ofconstruction ot operation need not be studied quatiti-tatively beyond the initial iniventories. Rtodeints are alsoecologically imnportasit food web organisnis. However.quantitative population mleasuremrients are riot needed aslong as there is no reason to believe that stationconstruction or operation will have an effect on theirpopulations beyond that caused by the loss of habitat.Cettain station site and designs have required specialenvitonmental assssriment effort. Thiee i,'..ude sitesWith large cooling take.. or rew't voirs and planis havingckrOting trowets, part tolarly itf the wate, soIrce Isvi-wvatcf or0 b0a1: isfl wate,. These arc di.d ii, moredetail in the t(1i4wing i:Ctuons.It is iniplortant that the baseline stildivs of powcrstations having proposed mnan-mrade coiling laks con-sider physical anrd Olvi:ical ,elation.shlps bctweei thewater shed and lake; use of a new, habitwt by birds,insects, and other anirriws in both bieeficial and adverseaspects: and the potential for successful rehabilitation ofthe lake basin if the station is decommissioned. Bothbeneficial and adverse effects of the lake on the environ-menrt s101uld be consideTed,Water quality of the artificial like riu.v te intluencedno, only It source water qualiry but also by ,elatioh.ships with aoils and the surrounding landscape. Develop-nirrt of a watershed management plan ib needed as wellas an estirate of the amoutltl of rtwirffi oi" dissolvedsubstances and soil into the lake ftorn the surroundinglandscape,A new forms a new htabitat for plants andanimals. Waterfowl may be attracted in suhstantialnumbiexrs during their normal migration and their nfigra-tion habits may be altered, e.g., by overwinteting in anorthern chnmte om a warni.water lake. Waterfowlattracted to a lake may cause econrnit. loss to agricul-ture by their feeding activities and may cause degrada.lion of the lake water quality ifom their metabolicwastes.Evaporative cooling towers affect ecosystems by&eposition of drift containing dissolved minerals oft thelandscape or by production of fog. Drift may bebeneficdal or adverse depending on the chemlical c.m.pound# and elements being deposited and the amountsof depostion. The baseline program is designed toevwduatt the, potential effects of drift and to establishreference n*easmierenrts for comparison with later opera.tieOed mnfltoring obsenatlons by determinIng theamounts and kinds of alirborne chen*icals being deposi.ted on site prior to cooling tower operation. Acceptabledata could be obtained from existing sources of inform.ation or from monthly sampling of collectors that collectrboth dry and wet fallout. If a sampling program is used,it is normally continued for at least I year. Table 4suggests chemicals that are usually considered ini plan.ninlg the program.Drift from saltgatet or brackish water cooling towerscontains NaC I and Ltthet salts. Tile baseline chemicalmeasurements establish the Ni and Cl content of soilsand plants in the expected drift field of cooliig towersthat use seawater or brackish water. Baseline soilmeasurements noirmall , include the conductivity ofsaturated extracts ani' phI of samples obtained froni tireexpected drift field.It' the driflt frotr either fre-liwatler or saltwater towcris likely to r t ollal i.. .lwk , .ccs, their ttoficellrr iJtinllsare Irreasurmd ultless it 1,; c!.t: tit the allillrts irridconcelrtraltlons ;ire SttflitCw r low ri precl ode short.trerf t arnd cUlrlrrrr' ., adverse effects. Advirsebiological eft:iecs cart rrstrally her filed ot withr lessorn.able certainly r i ros t elv' re nis aind crt foundit n tire whei the expected additions corthrred withjreexistifliz tortell wotrld rot r aise tlhe concetllliration at'life Itoxrc subslanrce oulside lhie ranlge oii v ithitliollnotmally found in I lie hiot a or soils of tlie regionrChemical analyses of' soils, plants, and animals in thedrift field of freshwater cooling towers ate riot usuallyneeded when all of the following apply: (I ) the domi-mant salts ate hatmiless mixtutres of hiolocieral ltrlimrrents asslhowwn in Table 4. (2) the expected deposition ieyoildthe nearest site boundary is less thar 20 kglha-yy ofmixed salts, and (3) Lii," drilt does riot cOntlin toxico corCmpounds it amolntois thalt could behazardous to plants o, either b% direct orindirect exposure over tIhe expected lifelintie of thefacility.Usually, relference specimens of' soils, plants, andanimals for possible future aiilysis ;are retaihed iii caseswhere it is determinied tihat drift presert rs a chemilclhalTzard to the envillolniltnt. The spýcirtietis tilay consistof subsarirples of matertal that were collected prior totower uperatirn afnd analyzed for baseline data. Thestored samples are adequately protected for analyticalpu rpose s.Constnrction MonitoringBiological monitoring of imnportant species Is necess.ary if unavoidable construction practice causes a threatto some natural population or ecosystem that couldextend beyond the bounds of the area actually dedicatedto construction or associated activities. it such cases,studies may be designed to document the impact anddevelop possible corrective actions.4.1 I -- I I -ITABLE 4ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS OF POSSIBLE CONCERNIN CHEMICAL MONITORING PROGRAMSFOR TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS0GroupNil cron it i rienI4 3 4

• 4Ca, Mg, K, -knCu. Zn. Co, 8. Mo..V..Fe. I",NJ. C, F. 11CO) Co2Chemical compoundscommonly found insonicrequired by animalsRt Btv Oiosoicsl kafrard.Wlnot vi r.Q r"-. zx.cpt inNo hs"~Ji 0Whu~ a~ oftsakwrns ye !otweiale to hughktinor flhk at Winez'r'dpen~icr c'n wircji '4 m1.oQdum saall ruve Irxh rrkPie.vrn~ed high. bologicila riskatI ail ~.ic ~auii al bjvcthow'i ntmally found in nsture.Preiurned high hi~nlopjcal riskif Present in cooing towerdrift.ToxicPh, I1g. Cd, Cr. AiBijocides added tocuoling wate.sOperasionall Mon~itoringAllC, REGULATORY POSITIONMonitoring after coimnl ence n!iht of station opera-tions is intended to determine whether or not there areadverse biological effects attributable to station opera-tions. This monitoring program is outlined in detail inthe technical specifications that arc issued in connectionwith the station operating license. The scope of thesestudies is determined by the degree of direct linkagebetween the proposed station and the terrestrial eco-system. It is not necessary to hypothesize vague effectsor to undertake a program to measure a phenomenonthat has no reasonable relationship to station operation.However, when an adverse relationship between stationoperation and a terrestrial community Is reasonablythought to exist, a thorough evaluation is necessary. Thisevaluation is usually started during site selection orbaseline survey stages and continued after commence-ment of station operation.There may be cases In which no important impact onthe terrestrial ecological community is anticipated. Whensuch cases are adequately supported. there may beno necessity for terrestrial monitoring during operation.i. It is important to co.rdinate all the programsdiscussed in Regulatory Guides 4.1. -Program. for Mdont-toting Radioactivity in the Environs of Nuclear PowerPlants," and 4.2, "Preparation of Enritonrental Reportsfor Nuclear Powmer Stations'" Since precise prediction.and assessments of impacts on terrestrial ecologicilsystems are not allways p,.ssible, reasonable professictrainterpretations ýhould be made v*hen quantitative pre-diction is impossible.2. Adequate assessment of current land-use statusshould show (by a table, for example) major l-and-usecategories and areas devoted to each category alongwith aerial photographs showing the same categories.When data are not available from existing records, anacceptable means of acquiring them would be throughthe use of aerial photographs in conjunction withground reconnaissance. The scale of photographsshould be appropriate to the degree of detail required.4.1 . Di)ussioi of .Ails shoulk inclode ussociatimnna~nws.' c~apbill' elasscs,# and p~erc'entge or" silcoverage by eack amociatiun. 1Whn lliwunlmlts tlols of ,iiilo extent 1."C prcot li. it is acceptable toaccouilt for 10 to I Slyfl o, the total utea in a tiui:ella-neous cukgoiii. .rxcept for areas of ci;ique %alue.Dktrilc,, ¢onlsiderationt of soils and t11e1 productioinpotential is necessary fot biles located iln areas that areespecially productivc of agiicu tirfal or fotwstty prod.uctI .4. lbldogical momuitrig prtjigam.s sho,:h1 he inlioalydevisd Io b0v sci, 1I i ri.:vedhes to detctI k1.lesil-4ble Milects. If aidvcrsc biological ftle,'ts are dctecled.dc-taied ito aitic hf4h4giuhiJ "nd e"olohg.ka analysesitlay hlie IriiUicd to deieimijle cattse anid t) deviseI('.".tR' Ii ;3dVerseC 1t¢l 1 t l lc lot dcltected qHatll Utative studies are rot neredad.The sjic,ýwý invenlory of tile site should include1wihi las id norirnal scastoitu variationS. Lo-call, pro)milnt 0i1l imporlanlt ,asculat plants, fiaintials,birds repuies, amphiblans. inwects, and other plants andanimnals should be included. The invenlory should heterisonably cormnpelbe hut may be terrinated when addi.tioiq field effort no lo k.gr yields significant numbers ofprevioisly unobstn-cd tpecles.The inventory of inv,,cts Nieed not account for allspCeie FiMce it RmRy bN po,,lble oIQ find previouVlywjitabulated species for years after the beginning of thestudy. Insect surveys should provide Information onimportant specics such as disease vectors, pests. andpollinating insects. Interpretation of insect data shouldinclu.de whether or not populations could he altered,Willh advers consequences Io alnimls, vegetation, orhumans, by construction or operation of the station.Protectton of terrestrial syxtenri is usually adequatewhen it can be shown that (I) habitat losses oralterations are insignificant to populations of Importantspecies in the regional or local context, (2) cheoticalemissions from the station ate sufficiently small topermit reasonable assurance that no adverse effect willoccur, and (3) no mechinism exists for causing uin-tended destruction of organisms, or its occurrence Isinfrequent enough to give reasonable assurance thatwhole populations will nol be adversely affected.Environmental protection should be achieved bycontrol of common Sources of environmental effects.These Include soil erosion, siltation, use of herbicides.dust and noise during construction, and others.Biological conequences can usually be prevented orreduced to acceptable levels through proper manage-rent.*U.S. Deptment of Agriculturte I-VNi System should be used.If cooling towers arte being considered, the mineralconzent ot the cooling water supply should bedetermined in lte baseline studies. An estimte shouldti" made of the amounts and dispersion of saltsexpected to be deposited froni the towers. Theeistimate should t., based oin cooling water q1ualiy.maunufa:t.urc r's specificationss drift release fronm thetowers, concentration factors, and prevadiin c eteono.logical conditions at the site, Meteorological disperswonmodels atre useful to obtain estimates of drift deposition.Elsthiated drift deposition fronl coouling tuweis may bePlotted on a base map or graph centered on the towersand showing isopleths of salt deposit ion. The mapsshould have a radius sufficient to show the ointsti atwhich -the amountt of drilft tomm the lower fall withinthle normal range of annual variation of backgtounddeposition from other sources. They should also showthc vegetation types that occur in the drift field.Reco-lnaissance iand intpectioi of Woh.wa in Ihliitfield beforc and a'fter cooling tower operation is a it1Ci:11,1Icornmended It' delecltion ot" pi:;sible adverse tlfTectsof drift. The baseline hnI.neclion should be caitied out iyspecialists In; biology workingg systC t'liltically foillt check.lists of possible advetse effects% In the coniunily,Scasonal aerial and giound-level photographs in color orinf.ared false color of iwrilanetit vegetation plots areoften useful aids. Quanttiatlse chemical analysis ofplants, animals, and soils arc needed if chemical depositsare expected to exceed toxic or injurious thrcsholds.Population monitoring of selected species could also heneeded in such cases.The assessment of coolinig lakes should include adetailed consideration ol the effects of land diversion oinlocal, regional, 31nd Staie agriculitual prodct lI0ion, foreslproduction, on rmc teat loital uses. The assessment shouldinclude both adveise and beneficial aspects of coolinglake onstruction, Where a cooling lake: Is pitoposcd. itheba.eline studies should Include a prelimInury assessnentof the potential for rechtination of the lake boltton foragricultural, ccologlcad, or forestry use after decotninis.sloning. It Is not necessary, however, ito prejudge tuluueu11 of the lake site It is sufficient to establish whetherthe option exists to reclalt the site for other pioducLtivCuses or whether tile creation of the lake consiltutes anirretrievable change In land use.The asscssinenl should also include a report of thenumber of hectares of the lake site that will feittainundisturbed during construction, thle number of hectaresand vegetation that will be disturbed, the source of"borrow" material for dike construction, and the man-agement of' topsoil removed during constructiion. Use oftopsoil stripped fronm the lake bottom for vegetativestabilization of dikes and for ultimate replacement onthe lake bottom for rehabilitation should be considered.4.1 .. na s, capability class.* and pCerIteagc of "lie4Oc~erap by each.x a~x-iatv.-n V. cn unomceo'. msxiz-tions, of rnrino extent 1 e pr.Xinl. I, n act;.IANC 1,account for 10 to 15'5.* of the iotwl arco in a ritawe!.nIeous category, except tot areas of ct~*ique Vtut.Detailed consideration of sujs. and tfir prudthjitwnpotential is necessary for sites located in areaex tha4 areespecialy productive of airicultutal or forestry piod.,-tic Is.4. Wiolugl,.al Iua lltul lurg >.hId b13c mittillydevised to be succemnng pru,.edu,,% to d u!,kr u. -able effects. If advcr.c biulogical ef(,",ts are detected,delailed quapijtrii ivc biolop-ial and c ,Kl.gic.. anAlysc.sliay heV wiqoimed to d.luwlit¢ i Iii d lo : ci,,1r0'1edies. Ii' advere effects arc not detcctcl. quAilti-tallve studies are irot needed.The species inventory ot ithe site should ic:lureimportant habitats and normal Seasonal ,4fuItions, Lo.cally prominent ol imputlasit Lmants mnamals.birds. rcptiles, amphibians, inwcts, and other plants Andanimals should be included. The inventory should bereasonably complete but may be merninamed when addi-tilonal field effort no longer yields significant nomhcrs ofpreviously unobserved species.'The inventory of insects necd not account for aUspecies sifWe it may be possible to find .jeviouoly.untabulated spucict for yeitts after the beginning of thestudy, lnscct surveys should provide Informaton onimportant species such as disease vectors, pests, andpollinating insects. Interpretation of in.icct data shouldinclude whether or not populations could be altered.with adverse consequences to animals, vegetation. orhumans. by construction or operation of the station.Protection of terrestrial systems is usually adeqclatewhen it can be shown that (I) habitat losses oralterations are Insignificant to populations of importantspecies in the regional or local context, (2) chemicalemissions from the station are sufficiently small to* permit reasonable assurance that no adverse effe t willoccur, and (3) no mechanism exists for causing u.,n-tended destruction of organisms, or its occurrence Isinfrequent enough to give reasonable assurance thatwhole populations will not be adversely affected.Environmental protection should be achieved bycontrol of common sources of environmental effects.These include soil erosion, siltation, ut: of herbicides,dust and noise during construction, and others.Biological consequences can usually be prevented orreduced to acceptable levels through proper manage-ment.*U.S. Department of Agriculture l-NtU System should be used.If -veIa"WitnA~~Conteni A ftb il, "aA' tinj zuorl4d ) nyly opaerntsed in tisd vaeed tfr ").Je dpoiexpeted to ee dl. tow or 'ýsc f't¢,1bhC s ttnma it le ou"d 4.cte b d ~a -t L .v; IaZrn Tanul. : etunr,'s "A-et ,i ,ii n I dr z tek.ýat.d II I:-.dtoAers. atefc nd n rtevn ols tcki coniirons at the ute, 1eo' ai s:.ninclua.de bush ader to ~ btvn ci dt.t ckLingi1.iIFlotted onrt a bau nup 4:er A ceo tl i-on i roe tVieshoulid Ave s shaoius a t-i*4rW X aznms iý,twofjiv the ptetua f u rici q! tin the Ow r raeIl wahe-oithe mrir;t.l ra-, m e-twe ot v f atry u f : kick.TK u1-dvsitonmg Itise- n flt hwevey tobwj A1e,K'Ig the Weewption types that ics, the the dorift he oduand (4 Wof.n Int~t 1r e '10jtfield befuC w j au .er -,oiAWF IC1oe;e op atiolt- 4 noa,ýCss41tittertlhed t'o &errctou -At p idak1.e 4dww rffiettýof djifs. The bav.on u i i pectseri siould be a teed out bhspn erhAIS rbaoes otke ak siten nzamth.at, wl rhemai-nistus ie pdv n Averse t if-t,is in the r n bohmutarsScasdvetna t ;1i0 tAd pritsndvl be Pdtb in ceOr orirrf:aoed false cski of permanent veprtatm Plots airoften useful aids. ouante*utjrig cothemirionalysis ofplants, animals, and fros are if bottofar dcpoaiteate expvcted to exceed 101cOfk orq ixauris 111teshdAl~.PojpuLitiorr monitoring of xieertrd sqpýOei cculd attso 4C11eedled in such cases.The wsessmnen vf cxv1inj; lakeý- fhould tri-Llvd adetabili onsoderites n of the effects of rd divercsnt onth aeal. reh itoal. and StAte agtri htural jmWd&eion. f'rediF170(111COOT, o~r reiJeAtiOrtAl uses. 11e J36sae1Irnt -,h1,uldinclude both Adverse andi bemcficial :opecis ofcolnlake cumnstructiurm.%'here a cor.4ing lake it, p-oposed, tteebaseline stodies should include a prelminrthry asine-vt~tof the potential fut reclaxnaimsfn teC the take hottoin laragricultural, ecological. or forestry use after decomituswsioning, It ii not necessary, however, to prepbdge futurruse of the take site It is vifficient to es~tablisth whetherthe option exmists to reclaim the site for other prod~uctiveu~s-s Or whether the Creation of the lake constituites Anirretrievale change in land use.The asscssment should alm) include a reprtit of thenumber of hectares of the lake site that will remainundisutubed during construction, the numbeT of hectare~sand vegetation that rMil be disturbed, the source of"borrow" material for dike constructiorm. and the man-agement of topsoil removed during construction. Use oftopsoil stripped front the lake bottom for vegetativestabilization of dikes and for ultimate replacement ontthe lake bottom for rehabilitation should be considered.4.11-7 When a pruposed lake is to be built on substrates.having a potential for affecting water quality, chemicalanalyses of the substrates should be performed. Theelements to be measured depend on the nature of thesubstrate. If the substrate is formerly fertili.ed farndand.analysis for elements common to chemical fertiliers isneeded. If the substrate is land of some special history,.such as strip-mine land, appropriate chemical assessmnentof the water-soluble and exchange- ,le components ,ofthle substrate should be made to obtain an estimate ofchemical input to the lake. Special attention is giventhose elements that-could reach toxic concentrations inwater, accumulate to toxic levels in food .-:"bs. or affectthe pil of the Like. The chemical analyses should beperformed on appropriate chemical extracts of the soilmaterial. The characterization of soil material shouidalso include deteumination of exchanri. capacity, organicmatter, ph, and textural class.When a reservoir is proposed, the baseline studiesshould !ude reasonable predictions of the numober ofbirds (especially waterfowl) expected to use the lake onan annual basis, their expected residence time. theexpected Impact on farnilands, and all other impactseither on the birds themselves or on the surrounding areadue to their prescnce. The estimates should be the bestobtainable bawed on known flyways, estimates of farmacreages nearby, literature, or 1,xal evidence of birdutilization of other rescrvuirs under similar conditions.If significant numbers of waterfowl are expected tocongregate at the lake for app e'lable periods of time, amonitoring progiam should be started when the lake ha-sbeen filled The program should determine the numberof waterfowl, the extent of crop damage in hectares. thevalue of crop lost on art annual basis due to bird fecifing,and the numbers of dead or obviously diseased birds.5. Whcn adverse effects of construction ot operationcan be reasonably inferred from information obtainedduring the baseline phase, quantitative studies that canbe compared with later studies during construction oroperational phases should be initiated. Such studiescould Include measurements of population densities ofendangered species or chemical measurements of toilsand blota within the potential drift field of a coolingtower, for example.The preferred method of biological protection onmany constructlon sites is direct control of potentiallyinjurious work practice. Systematic inspection duringconstruction at the site along transmission corridors andin adjacent areas should be used to detect injurious orunauthorized activities. Examples of items that may bechecked are:a. TPafflc Control -Vehicles should be confined toauthorized roadways and stream crossings.b. Dust Contrl --OD t should be controlled bywatering, gpaveling. kn paving. Areas subjec to winderosion should be controlled by mulching or seedin,.c. ,oiaW Conrrtd Noise should be monoimred at zitebounda~ies.d. Smoke Contrul -Open slash busaing of plantnateriai shouidJ be conducted in accidanct localand State regulations.*C. ChOwdcal and Solid Wase Ccnfrol ..- Cerryta..cleiicahs, fuels. sanmry 'asie'. lublic.an2s. bilwrcit ýflushing solutions, om other potentially hatzzid,.:.mirruterials should bc vavaged or disharged sifet) inaccordance with existing regulatos. Spills ,sh..Wd tbcle;ned up before dhey become a hazard.f. Soil Erosion and Sediment Conpul -E!-should be cont odled by piped drainagt. diversion dikes.flumes, sediment control structures,. ground o.other appropriate neanf..g. Dewneerirg. D )watern~g. b. cotonfined tothe area needed for construction; test wells or pie-existing wells should be monitored ":w ch.ne.s in t&,)water table.If. after analysis o( the inventory oi svperis andconsideration of potential effects of the nuclear ;pwerstation, a conclusion is wartanmed Otuf if.erte vvi K- tit,advesew impact on biota, there may be no need to carryout biological nionitoring ptopanms at the ctstroctihand operational stages and, correspondi,.gy, these mnybe no wtee.d to tnitiate such piograms during the bascnirestage.Special studk;s could he necessary if adverse effectson hiota are detected and there is no obvious explana-tion or remedy for the effect. In the usual ca.se, however,if habitat loss or alteration, dicrnjcal emissions, or directdestruction of organisms do not constitute a threat to apopulation of an important species. the effect need notbe studied further even though it is important in anecological sense.D. IMPLEMENTATIONThe purpose of this section is to provide informationto applicants regarding the NRC staff's plans for usingthis regulatory guide.This guide reflects current NRC staff practice. There-fore, except in those cases in which the applicantproposes an acceptable alternative methud for com,plying with specified portions of the Commission'sregulations, the method described herein is being andwill continue to be used in the evaluation of submittalsfor operating license or construction permit applicationsuntil this guide is revised as a result of suggestions fromthe public or additional staff review.4.11-8